The Music Box: Drabbles and Ficlets
by Surreal13
Summary: This is the second series of drabbles and ficlets. Focus will mainly be on Season 2, but expect mentions of events from Season 1 as well. As always, read the warnings carefully.
1. Coming Home

**Title: **Coming Home

**Rating: **PG for mention of violence

**Warnings: **None

**Pairings: **Diana/Christie

**Notes: **Written for a prompt fest. Prompt was: _Diana - Coming Home_

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Diana had been excited about her transfer. It was a big step to be moved from probationary to full agent. It meant she was one step closer to running her own cases. One step closer to being a team leader. She loved Washington, D.C. It was a beautiful city and she enjoyed exploring it with Christie after their wedding. The work was good too. Her new boss was intelligent, but not nearly as brilliant as Peter. Her co-workers were fine agents, but she didn't have that comfort level with them that she'd had with Jones. There was no one there to shake things up the way Neal had, and no one did playful banter like the ex-con. Eventually, her days fell into a dull rhythm of getting up, working boring cases until it was time to go home. She tried to look on the bright side; she hadn't had to face down a gun yet and the pay was decent enough.

By the end of six months however, Diana had revised her opinion. Washington was ok, but the work was less than inspiring, and her boss was bright enough but he wasn't able to make the intuitive, sometimes breathtaking leaps in logic that Peter did on a daily basis. Her coworkers seemed dull in comparison to the easy friendship she'd developed back in New York. She found herself missing the team back in New York even more. Christie was not having much luck in the jobs department and they were beginning to feel the pinch of too many bills and not quite enough money.

When she got the somewhat mysterious call from Peter, Diana was ecstatic. She went back to New York and promised to bring Christie all the news. She didn't have much time for sight-seeing, as it turned out. Peter had gotten caught up in some conspiracy that involved an OPR agent and a mysterious music box. The whole mess centered around Neal Caffrey, of course. She didn't understand how or why Peter had become so emotionally involved with the conman. What she did know was that the man who had pushed her to become a better agent and made her so successful now needed her help. She accepted that somewhere along the line, Neal had earned Peter's belief that he was worth saving, and she threw herself into the case, at first for Peter, and then after the plane exploded, she realized she was doing this for Neal as well.

Four days after the explosion (days filled with enough excitement to last a life-time) Diana sat in the FBI office and talks with Hughes and the director from D.C. on a conference call. Hughes asked her to stay and offered her more money. She accepted it without even calling Christie; she knew what the answer would be. Christie wanted to move back to New York, and Diana couldn't envision leaving Peter now. Neal was locked up in prison again for no good reason, and Peter was on suspension. They both needed her help.

It took some time, but Peter got his badge back. She had no idea how he convinced the higher ups to release Neal from prison, but he did. Three months after the phone call that changed everything, Diana walked into the conference room to be briefed on the newest case. Jones grined at her in greeting and shoved a cup of coffee at her. Neal, recently released from prison, gave her a flirtatious grin (a ghost of what it had once been, but the grief was beginning to fade finally from his eyes). Peter was all business and handed her a folder after only a cursory greeting. As he began to discuss the case, Diana felt like she had final come home.


	2. There's a Spider on the Floor

Title: There's a Spider on the Floor  
Beta: Ha! No.  
Rating: G  
Pairings/Chracters: Peter/Elizabeth; Neal, Alex  
Warnings: A large spider.  
Notes: Written for Prompt Fest IV. Prompt: Alex – Spider

Also, this is crack. The situation is unlikely and the characters are probably OOC, but it was fun to write.

* * *

**i.**

Neal smiled when he saw the number that popped up on his caller id. Alex. He'd been waiting and hoping she'd call him.

"Alex!" he said cheerfully. The smile dropped a little when he heard her panicked breathing. "Alex, what's wrong?"

"Neal, I need you to come over here right away!" Alex said, her voice pitched much higher than normal. There was only one thing that could make Alex sound like that.

"I'll be right over," Neal promised. She gave him her address and a strained, "Please hurry" before hanging up with him.

**ii.**

Peter's cell phone rang. He sighed and answered when he saw who it was on the caller id. "Caffrey. What do you need?"

He listened to the younger man's panicked pleadings and his eyes widened. "So you called _me_? No way...I'll get El. She's good with this sort of thing."

"Neal honey, what's wrong?" Elizabeth asked. She gave Peter a disapproving look for refusing to help Neal until she heard what the problem was. Her face relaxed and Peter could tell she was trying very hard not to laugh.

"We'll be right over," she promised, and after getting the address from a breathless Neal, she hung up the phone.

**iii.**

"We? Why do I have to go?" Peter asked grumpily even as he retrieved the car keys.

Ten minutes later they got up to Alex's apartment. Peter had used his badge to gain access.

"Official FBI business," he'd informed the guard at the desk somberly. "There's a potentially dangerous situation up there."

The guard had reluctantly agreed, but when he heard the panicked cries of "YES! YES LET THEM IN," he hurriedly obliged them.

"Do you need me to call back up?" he asked with concern. Peter shook his head with a rueful grin. "We've got it, don't worry," he said. El swept into the apartment while he followed at a more cautious pace.

"Oh, this? This isn't poisonous at all," Elizabeth said as she found the intruder that had so petrified Alex and Neal. The two normally pulled together adults were standing on the dining room table and clutching at each other in terror.

Peter had the urge to climb up after them when he saw what Elizabeth had scooped up in her hand but he was pretty sure the dining room table wouldn't support his weight.

"We use these sometimes for some of our more unique dishes," she explained as she headed to the kitchen with the 'intruder'.

"What?" Peter wished his voice didn't sound like a squeak.

"We use them sometimes for appetizers," Elizabeth explained. At the appalled expressions on her companions' faces she just grinned and found an empty plastic container to deposit the tarantula into.

"It's ok. I got it," Elizabeth said, and showed them the contained spider. The poor creature was scurrying back and forth in its new prison, trying to find an escape.

Just then there was a knock on the door. Alex climbed off the table with Peter's help (Peter left Neal to his own devices) and hurried to the door, making sure to give Elizabeth and the contained spider a wide berth.

An irritated woman and a sheepish boy of about ten years were at the door.

"I uh...lost my pet tarantula. I don't suppose you've...oh, there he is. See mom? I told you no one would risk squishing her."

Alex didn't bother to respond. She just motioned Elizabeth to hand over the spider. Then without a single word Alex just closed the door in her neighbors' faces.

Peter would have been amused except that Alex really was white as a sheet and she was trembling hard enough that he could see it.

"It was a female?" Alex said. "Could she have laid eggs? I need a hotel until I can get an exterminator..." She paused and said almost shyly, "I don't like spiders."

"I don't either," Peter admitted.

"You should have heard him in the office the other day," Neal chimed in. "He screamed when he saw a little spider crawling across his desk."

Peter growled. "It wasn't a scream. It was a shout of surprise and alarm."

"I think it was a scream," Neal countered. "It was too high-pitched to be a shout."

"Well what was that on the phone when the spider was crawling across the floor, Caffrey? Sounded like a scream to me..." Peter countered.

The two men bantered back and forth as Alex packed an overnight bag (with Elizabeth checking to make sure there were no spider eggs). By the time Alex was ready to go she seemed more like her usual self. She didn't notice, but Elizabeth saw the two men wink at each other as they all left the apartment together.

**~fin**


	3. Building Bridges

**Title:** Building Bridges  
**Rating:** G  
**Characters:** I won't spoil all the fun. I'm sure you'll know.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Notes:** Written for Prompt Fest IV: _**Peter – Bridges  
**_Um...so this is crack. It's my first purely conversation fic. I hope I pulled it off.  
And thank you to all my wonderful readers and reviewers! I 3 you all so much!

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"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I said no! Absolutely not. No way."

"You need to expand your limited world view, Suit."

"There is nothing wrong with my world view, thanks."

"Look, I'm just trying to bridge the cultural gap between us."

"...Your terrible attempt at humor will not change my mind."

"I'm not in top form."

"Even at your best I wouldn't agree to this, so don't feel bad. You should be resting anyway."

"I don't want to rest, I want to watch a movie. Just give it a try."

"I have. I've seen it three times. I don't want to see it again."

"Fourth time's the charm!"

"No!. Wait, what are you doing?"

"You want to play hardball? Fine. I'm going to call Neal."

"Why?"

"Because June wisely decided he needed to get out of the house. He's escorting her to the same charity event Burke Premier Events has planned."

"You're going to tattle on me to my wife?"

"No. I'm just going to tell her the truth: Her husband is an ogre who is being rude and won't watch a simple movie with her invalid guest."

"..."

"That's what I thought."

"Fine. Fine. Put your damn movie in."

"Go make some popcorn, federalli. "The Bridges of Madison County" await us."

"...I need a beer."

**~fin**

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**I hope you all enjoyed this little piece of nonsense! :-D


	4. Wind

**Title:** Wind

**Rating: **PG for language.

**Notes:** Written for Promptfest IV. Prompt: Diana – Wind

Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed!

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Every time.

Every damn time she let her guard down with Caffrey he did something to destroy that little amount of trust she gave to him.

He had been so hurt and torn up after Kate's death she had tried to offer him friendship but then he lied to them, started hiding things. He omitted the truth. He used them to get what he needed. His goals were usually noble, if not a little misguided. She could forgive him for that but then he'd…he'd stolen from her.

The theft was bad but the burn of disappointment and the frightening sensation of being used were much, much worse. She had thought that she had connected with Neal. He had been so hurt and torn up after Kate's death she had tried to offer him friendship. She opened up to him about Charlie, and allowed herself to be vulnerable around him in a way that only her closest friends were allowed to see.

And now? Now Neal's implosion could put him back in prison and cost Peter his entire career. Diana looked in the rearview mirror to see the weary, defeated expression on Neal's face. Her heart softened just a little. She had to remind herself that despite everything he had been through, Neal was still a conman. He couldn't be trusted now – maybe ever.

It was like winding a clock - you could do it to a point and the mechanisms would continue to work. If the key is turned too hard or too tightly, however, the gears locked up. Their relationship was like that. One of these days he was going to push the limits too far, turn the key too hard and then she knew she'd have no choice but to shut down on him to protect herself.

She hoped that day never came.

**~fin**


	5. Numb

**Title:** Numb  
**Rating:** PG-15 for violence, death  
**Warnings:** Death of a recurring character, major angst.  
**Pairings:** mention of Fowler/his wife  
**Notes:** Written for Promptfest IV, Fowler - Detached

Thank you to all the readers and reviewers!

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Having an angry Neal Caffrey pointing a gun at him should have made Garrett worried. He wasn't armed and he had no vest. He had no backup, no one to come rescue him - no one who wanted to rescue him. He had no one waiting for him, no one to welcome him home.

The only person who had mattered to him was gone, and because she was the only thing he had ever really cared about, he found that he no longer wanted to remain on this earth. Let Burke handle finding out whoever had done this. Fowler was ready for his end.

**~-~**

Burke talked Caffrey down, using every ounce of influence he had over Neal to stop him from pulling the trigger. Fowler's end was not to be that day. It seemed like he should have been disappointed his life had been extended. He should have been relieved or even happy that Caffrey hadn't followed in his footsteps, that the young conman hadn't destroyed his life but Fowler couldn't feel anything anymore.

The unwelcome truth was that he still lived and he felt nothing because he had nothing left to live for - until he looked at the fire in Neal's eyes and the determination in Peter's face, and he knew that they would keep going until they found out who was doing this, no matter what the cost. It became clear to Fowler that he did have one duty left to him: he had to stop the ones who had set this all into motion in order to keep Burke and everyone else safe.

Too many lives had been lost, too many lives had been ruined in the hunt for the music box. Fowler was to blame for most of that - even if he hadn't blown up the plane, even if he hadn't pulled the trigger that nearly killed Neal's informant friend, he still blamed himself. He had participated in this mess, had let himself be led around by the nose to do someone elses dirty work. No more.

He went through the motions of working with Burke while he quietly conducted his own investigation. He put things together first, all the while carefully, quietly sending Neal and Peter down a different, safer path. To protect them he had to con them.

The irony was not lost on him.

As the weeks passed Garrett thought that he should have felt guilty but all he felt was...nothing. The soul-deep numbness had settled over him like a cloak, shielding him from inconvenient emotions.

So he lied and misled, and he knew that the chase was almost over, that Burke was close to catching him, and then...

He finally got his meeting with Larssen. It was time.

**~-~**

The final showdown was in, of course, an abandoned warehouse, where Julian Larssen gave the typical bad guy speech. How cliche. Garrett's lips curled in a sardonic smile as he goaded his former military buddy into a full confession, knowing all the while that the recording was being streamed live to every FBI computer. They might get him but they wouldn't be able to bury this. Not this time.

There should have been anger. Hatred. Maybe sadness or regret. Garrett didn't feel anything as he was in a standoff with the man he had trained and fought next to...the man he had saved once saved. He had the confession on tape. It was finally over.

Larssen ran out of words, and seemed to come to the same conclusion as Fowler. He raised his weapon. Fowler raised his at the same time. Still, he felt nothing as he pulled the trigger, felt nothing as he watched Julian's eyes widen in horror. He was distracted by the bullet that buried itself deep in his chest. There was surprisingly little pain as he tumbled to the ground and blood began to pour from his wound, while Julian crumpled and fell right along with him.

Two puppets, their strings finally cut. Next would be the puppet master. But now for Fowler. He knew it as he stared up at the ceiling with eyes that no longer wanted to focus. He was done. He could rest.

With his end finally here, he felt something. Relief that it was over. Sadness because truthfully he did not want to die on the floor alone. Pain blossomed in his chest and he coughed to alleviate the pressure. Blood bubbled up through his lips and he was afraid to be alone, but then life, or God, or the universe granted him one last boon. A familiar face, now taut with worry and sadness bent over him. Burke pushed down on his wound in a futile attempt to stop the flow of blood.

The room came into cold, clear focus for a moment and Fowler was keenly aware of Peter's harsh breathing, of his hand grasping Peter's sleeve, of Jones's voice calling, "He's dead, Peter."

"Got the confession," Garrett said smugly around a mouthful of blood. He coughed again painfully and felt a little more of his life drain from him. "Th' rest is up t'you."

"I could have helped you," Burke said, and he sounded so distraught Garrett felt sincere regret that his final actions had hurt Peter so much. Peter was a good man. Better than anyone Garrett had ever known. He was a good agent and would finish the task that was left to him.

"Saved you. Saved him." Garrett smiled as everything began to fade. He'd done something good with his life after all. His wife...he could almost hear her voice again, could almost see her. He could see beyond Peter now, and for the first time in years, he felt...he felt -

_...happy_

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**~fin**


	6. And I've Waited All This Time

**Title:** All This Time I've Waited...  
**Rating:** G  
**Spoilers: **Tag to Burke's Seven  
**Warnings/Triggers: **Pure fluff  
**Summary:** Neal asks Jones for a favor.  
**Notes:** Written for elrhiarhodan 's Promptfest V. Prompt: Jones - Confrontation.

Thank you to all my readers and reviewers! I really appreciate all your support. :-)

* * *

He'd been waiting since Diana returned to the team to hear what was going on. He knew that Peter had called her in when he'd been on suspension, and Jones understood why. Peter needed someone who wasn't currently working with him to do things. So he waited for Peter to tell him what was happening.

And he waited. All through the surreptitious conversations, the exchange of looks, the times Diana would wait for Peter's office to clear and then she'd be in there with another mysterious file.

He had his suspicions of what they were doing, of course. Everyone knew that Neal's girlfriend had died, and that it hadn't been an accident. Top that off with the investigation into Peter, and plenty of people were uneasy at the office. More than a few people transferred out, worried that a close association with Neal or Peter might bring harm to their families or careers.

On her last day, Cruz asked him if he was leaving, and he simply shook his head. She gave him a pitying look and told him that if Peter hadn't brought him into the loop yet, he might as well put in a transfer. Jones just smiled, but in his gut he felt uneasy - and a little hurt.

It wasn't until Peter's second suspension that Jones finally had had enough. Neal seemed to know now what Peter and Diana had been up to, and that meant that only Jones was out of the loop. He had thought that he had earned Peter's trust but he was still shut out.

He'd had enough, and he finally confronted Diana about it. Now he sat on Peter's couch and stared at the man he considered his mentor. He was feeling resentful and angry, and he didn't bother to hide it as Peter began to speak.

He listened and he understood - but it didn't take the edge off his anger. He would wait and confront Peter later. It wasn't the time to air his frustration with Diana sitting there and with a murderer on the loose. He would do what needed to be done and then...then they would talk.

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**~fin**


	7. Everything Has Changed

**Title: Everything Has Changed  
Rating: **PG  
**Warnings/Triggers: **Altered state of mind from being drugged, angst  
**Pairings:** Peter/Elizabeth, Neal/Alex(Sara)  
**Spoilers: **"Under the Radar"  
**Summary: **A few sentence character explorations that take place during and immediately following the events of "Under the Radar"  
**Notes: **These were written for the Sentence Challenge Promptfest. Some were re-worded. Warning for massive abuse of sentence structure and grammatical rules. Bonus Elizabeth ficlet that is brand new. :-D

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**Peter - Doubt:**

Alex snuggled against his left side, hand curling around his wrist, Neal slumped against his right arm, his dark hair falling into his face, both so unguarded, their expressions unusually open as their even eyes drooped and finally slipped shut, they looked almost innocent, and with the drug blurring and spinning the world into darkness, it was easy for Peter to let the inevitable sleep swallow his worries that one or both of them might be conning him; instead the sliver of doubt that they'd make it out of this alive followed him down, down, and then even that thought was lost...

**Alex - Ending:**

For just the briefest of moments at the dry dock, wrapped in Neal's arms, their lips locked in a tender, emotional kiss, she'd been able to believe that maybe there had been a chance for them - and then as they'd finally broken apart, she'd seen the other woman, and Alex knew she had to prepare herself for another bitter ending.

**Peter - Stark: **

Peter had shot Adler in the back with no warning, no chance to give himself up, all to save Neal - and then he'd seen the burning painting, and knew that he'd just sacrificed everything for a man who'd been conning him all along.

**Hughes - Linger:**

Hughes had been fortunate in his career to only have shot a handful of suspects over the years, but he knew there was a high cost after each death, and so after Peter had given his statement and scheduled his appointment with the shrink, Hughes spent a few extra minutes with the younger agent, because he knew that no matter how justified the shooting was, the burden of taking another life was a heavy one to bear...all he could offer Peter were these moments of company as the adrenaline wore off and the weight of what had happened settled over him, and in the safety of his company, Peter shed a few bitter tears of frustration and grief over a man who didn't deserve them.

**Peter - Stark: **

Two choices spun through Peter's mind when he was home in Elizabeth's arms and he'd had time to think beyond those first gut-wrenching moments: either he'd made a terrible mistake in accusing his partner, or Neal had been conning him this whole time...but in the end it didn't matter, because either reality was too stark for even Peter to handle.

**Neal - Stark:**

The euphoria of being surrounded by the world's greatest treasure slowly faded, replaced by a mixture of anger and regret as he remembered the stark fury on Peter's face; now the one person he would have gladly showed this secret to was the last person he ever wanted to speak to again.

**Elizabeth - Hold:**

Heartsore, exhausted, Peter had practically collapsed into her arms, desperate for contact with her to keep him grounded, and even after he'd fallen into an uneasy sleep, Elizabeth held him, protected him, soothed away the nightmares with a light touch or gentle kiss until at last he slept deeply...and still she didn't let him go until the sunlight stole him away from her once again.


	8. Insight

**Title:** Insight  
**Rating:** G  
**Genre:** Gen  
**Characters:** Alex Hunter  
**Spoilers:** Copycat Caffrey  
**Beta:** Unbeta'd. All mistakes are my own.  
**Summary:** Alex discovers something about Special Agent Peter Burke  
**Notes:** Posting my Day Four entry for We Love the Women Fandom Loves to Hate. I'm a day behind. :/

* * *

Alex didn't trust him. Really, she couldn't trust him. He was, at best, an inconvenience in her life. At worst, he'd be her downfall. He'd promised he would help her, but she just wasn't sure how much he could really do. It was certain that he would want something from her. There was always an ulterior motive when it came to law enforcement. The only reason she had agreed to this sting was because Neal told her that Peter was someone she could trust, and even Mozzie, with is paranoia of law enforcement, held some reluctant admiration for the "suit".

So, despite her misgivings, she sat and waited in a booth at the diner, with a wire taped to her chest so that the agents could listen into the conversation. Peter had given her a code phrase to use if she felt she was in danger. "Use it at any time, even if the danger seems small." Peter had repeated that to her several times. He was adamant that she not take even the slightest risk. "If he seems ready to walk on the deal, let him. We'll get him another way. No chances, Alex. Promise me."

_Yeah right,_ Alex thought. She wanted this deal to go through more than Peter. She wanted to see if the agent would really be able to take Russel out of play. To appease him, she had agreed. Peter had stared at her for a few seconds and then shaken his head. "You mean that as much as Caffrey does," he'd said with obvious resignation. "Just be careful."

His genuine concern for her was disarming. With anyone else she would have suspected a false interest in her safety to cover up their true worry about the operation getting blown. Peter seemed too honest for such contrivances. He genuinely seemed worried that she could be in danger. That kind of honesty could get someone into trouble, but Alex was beginning to suspect she had figured out what attracted Mozzie and Neal to Peter. He was strength and stability and warmth, and he was real. He represented that elusive _something_ that people in her chosen lifestyle could never find. To lonely hearts, Peter's light was tempting. Even Alex could feel that pull.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching the table. Professor Oswald had arrived. Time to get down to business.

OOOOOOOOO

The take down was effortless, but it still gave Alex that warm buzz that she always got from pulling off a heist. Who would have thought that arresting someone could have the same effect as stealing valuable objects? As she handed Peter the painting, she saw the same look on his face, and all the pieces fell into place. They were on opposite ends of the spectrum, but he _knew_. He knew about the highs (and probably the lows) from completing a job. This is what he offered to Neal, and a part of her suddenly longed for what Neal had. Getting the high and having the safety net of Peter Burke to catch you if you fell was extremely appealing.

"Thank you, Miss Hunter," Peter said. There was understanding in his eyes, if he knew some of what she was thinking. "Oh..." he reached into his suit coat and pulled out an envelope. "As per Neal's suggestion, we booked you for a secure flight to Italy. And we made sure we publicly thanked Russel for his thoughtful and continued cooperation with the FBI."

Alex took the ticket, somewhat bemused. She hadn't expected Peter to follow through. Not really, even when she had realized how open and honest he was. Then she smiled. "Neal said you were the best," she told him. Peter looked surprised and pleased in an aw-shucks kind of way that tugged tugged at her, and before she could stop herself, stood on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. They both blushed and she fled before either of them could embarrass themselves further.

Later that day, as she waited for the plane to take off, she thought about working with Peter. She thought that perhaps, when she wanted to settle down, that working for someone like Peter would be nice. The pilot's voice came over the loudspeaker, alerting them for take-off. Alex settled back with a smile. She was going to Italy.

Thoughts of settling down began to fade as the excitement of a new journey flooded her. Maybe someday she'd give up this life for something more stable. But not today.

**~fin**


	9. My Life is Not a Romance Novel

**Title: **My Life is Not a Romance Novel  
**Beta:** ericadawn16  
**Rating:** PG  
**Genre:** Gen/Angst  
**Characters:** Alex, Neal  
**Pairings: **Neal/Alex (vaguely implied past)  
**Summary:** Alex left the music box in the past but it still haunts her wherever she goes.  
**Spoilers:** Up to "Forging Bonds" in season 2  
**Notes:** For Day Five of Women Fest. 

* * *

Alex seated herself on the easy chair with a silly smut book she'd been indulging in the past few days, and took a sip of her coffee with a contented sigh. The past few days had been rough, what with the deal she'd been trying to pull off going pear-shaped. Something (or someone) had spooked her buyer, and she'd barely managed to pull off the sale. Things had not been going well lately, even though the music box had been returned, and it was beginning to feel like she was running out of places to go. Her contacts were slowly but surely being driven away from her. Soon she'd have to come up with a new plan to make money.

But for today, she was going to relax. She had some money in her pockets. She had an excellent cup of coffee, and her not-so-excellent book called to her. Serge and Veronica were just getting started with their first time together in Veronica's drawing room, while her evil jackass husband Duke Reginald Baldwin Esquire the Third was away in London for a business trip. Alex had just gotten to the part where Serge hiked up Veronica's skirt when her phone rang.

She was going to ignore it, but then she glanced at the screen and saw a very welcome name. She put her bookmark in place and answered on the fourth ring. "Hello, Neal," Alex said, genuinely happy to hear from him.

"Alex!" Neal's voice warmed her and chased away some of the shadows in her mind. "How are you?"

They made idle chitchat for a few minutes, but Alex knew something was up. There was an edge to his voice, and a few times he seemed to be segueing into a new topic before changing his mind. Deciding to take pity on him, Alex interrupted Neal's good-natured complaints about Mozzie drinking all his favorite wines. Alex idly rubbed a thumb over the creases on the spine of her book as she listened to Neal prattle on about nothing. He definitely wanted something, but he seemed reluctant to talk about it.

"Do you need something, Neal?" Alex asked when he finally ran out of things to say.

"Is it that obvious?" Neal sounded wounded. Alex grinned even though he couldn't see her.

"Just a lucky guess," Alex replied graciously. "What's up?"

Neal paused. That was never a good sign, and her good mood started to fizzle away. What could be wrong now? "Why don't you come over? I'd rather talk to you in person anyway," Neal suggested.

"Fine. I'll bring lunch. Be there in an hour," she promised, and hung up the phone. She tapped the phone lightly and sighed. Neal hadn't sounded upset or worried. Just cautious. Alex looked at her book with sad longing. She was sure the loathsome Duke was going to return early and catch the happy couple in the act. It was terribly predictable, but sometimes that it was nice to know what was going to show up ahead of time. She set the book down and patted the cover. Serge and Veronica were just going to have to wait a little longer.

OOOO

True to her word, she was at Neal's within the hour. Neal greeted her with a kiss to the cheek and helped her carry her bags into his apartment. "What did you bring, the entire store?" he asked with a grin. He got some dishes and retrieved the silverware while she unpacked all her goodies.

She'd brought mostly healthy stuff, except the dessert, which was a lovely chocolate torte. If they were going to end up talking about Serious Business, this would at least be something they could enjoy. "Do you want to talk now, or eat first?" Alex asked as Neal handed her the plates.

"We can talk later. Let's just relax. It's important, but not that important," Neal assured her, and the knot of fear in her stomach loosened. Important, but not an emergency. It was a relief to not have a huge complication to worry about.

Half-way through lunch Neal started to explain what Mozzie had deciphered from the code. "He didn't have a lot to do, and he was restricted on activity, so he began to decipher the code and figure out the meaning," Neal said with a boyish enthusiasm that made Alex smile in spite of how her heart was beginning to pound with dread.

She had wanted to leave the music box behind her, but it seemed destined to remain in her life just a little longer. Interest warred with weariness; Alex was very curious about the code she hadn't been able to crack herself. On the other hand, she would have been very happy if she never heard another word about the box and its mysteries. It had caused her nothing but grief.

After they finished their lunch, Alex idly folded the receipt from their lunch into a paper crane while Neal amused her with the tale of 'Burke's Seven'. It had been quite an adventure, and the lonely part of her wondered why Neal hadn't bothered to call her for help. She would have come; she cared about Mozzie and Neal, and she owed Peter. With effort, Alex pushed the thoughts aside. Her life was not a romance novel, adventurous as it might be. Daring and romantic adventures with the handsome hero were things of the past for her. It was time to move on. Someday she might even convince herself, but it wasn't going to be today.

"Do you want to see what Mozzie figured out?" Neal asked. Alex nodded and smiled in what she hoped was a convincing manner. Neal was too wrapped up in his story telling to notice her lack of enthusiasm. He didn't know what her true connection to the box was, and she wanted to keep it that way.

Neal brought a tray over with a bendy straws taped to it. Alex stared at the odd formation and before she could stop herself, she said, "It's a fractal!" Of course that made sense. Neal looked surprised. He set the tray down and sat beside her.

"What do you know about these?" he asked. He was looking at her with that wide-eyed, earnest look that always got to her. It was pointless to pretend ignorance when she'd already blurted out that she knew what it was.

"Fractals are found everywhere," Alex said, repeating the lessons her grandfather had drummed into her from an early age. "Nature has them, but humans have figured out how to use them for almost everything; microwaves and medical research to the cell phones we use...fractals can increase the signal of a normal antenna signal."

Neal looked impressed. "So what do you think?" he pressed. "Is this for a radio frequency?"

"Maybe," Alex hedged. She wanted to ask Neal why he couldn't let this go, but she knew why, deep down. It all had to do with Kate and her murder. He wanted to stop whoever had killed her from getting their hands on where the antenna would lead them. "It's a good bet it would be for an antenna, but keep in mind that this would have been very new technology - and probably not very good. The signal, if it exists, will probably be very weak."

"How do you know so much about fractals?" Neal asked with interest. He was watching her with sharp blue eyes. He knew her too well for him to not realize she hadn't fully disclosed all her knowledge. Alex tried to keep her face carefully neutral as she responded.

"It was an interest of my grandfather and father," she couldn't quite keep the wistfulness from her voice as she spoke. "My father especially was interested in them. He was an engineer, you know."

"No, I didn't know," Neal said quietly. His gaze had softened when she mentioned her family. He didn't know much, but he did know that aside from her uncle who lived in the Philippines, she had no family left. "Listen, Alex..." Neal took a breath and reached for her hand. He held it tightly. "Be careful. The man hunting for the music box is Adler."

At that news, Alex stiffened. "Vincent Adler? Your former boss? The guy who ran off with billions of dollars?" The man who had used her twice to connect with people of certain skills. She didn't say that part aloud. Neal didn't need to know how badly Adler had used her in the first few months after she'd been to the bastard's office.

"The same," Neal said gravely. "He either figured out you'd been looking for the music box, or he's after you because you're connected to me. Promise me you'll be careful."

"I'm always careful," Alex said. She tried to smile at Neal as she stood. "Is that everything?"

"It is," Neal confirmed. He looked concerned. "Will you be all right?"

"I'll be fine," she promised. "I think I might head out of town for a little while. Just to be on the safe side."

Neal didn't look convinced. "Are you sure that's a good idea? We can keep you safe." He walked her downstairs, his hand on the small of her back. It made her feel safe, but she knew that it was an illusion when someone like Adler would be looking for her. He'd killed Kate, he'd almost killed Mozzie. Neal couldn't keep her safe, but she appreciated that he cared.

"I'll be fine," Alex repeated. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and handed him the crane she'd folded. "Take care of yourself, Neal. I'll see you around."

She left before he could change her mind.

OOOO

The Duke did interrupt Serge and Veronica, just as Alex predicted. And he died a horrible death. That was predictable too. It would be nice if her life could be that easy and predictable, with a happily ever after just around the corner, but it wasn't. Alex closed her novel and looked out at the scenery rushing by her window. Every second that passed took her farther away from New York. She didn't feel any safer with the distance. Her future was so uncertain that she couldn't even imagine what she'd be doing in a few hours, let alone a few days.

For the first time in many years, Alex had no plan, and it terrified her. Adler's cold, cruel eyes flashed through her mind and she shivered. All she knew was that she never wanted to be in that man's clutches ever again. She had to fight for every moment now.

She just hoped it was a battle she could win.

**fin**


End file.
